San Juan Symphony music director to step down

By Kathy MyrickSpecial to The PREVIEW

After what will be a 13-year tenure, San Juan Symphony (SJS) Music Director Arthur Post has announced he will step down at the end of the next symphony season.

“I’ve signed a new extension of my contract with the SJS through the 2014-15 season, which will be my thirteenth and final season as music director. My time with the San Juan Symphony has been rich and rewarding in so many ways that I find it difficult to imagine leaving. The musicians and I have shared great musical adventures and unforgettable concerts. I owe a great deal of my creative growth to this adventuresome and invigorating collaboration, and I cherish the rapport with the Four Corners musicians and audiences and the many wonderful relationships that I have here. But lately my growing family and professional commitments make my schedule increasingly hectic. I feel confident that it’s the right time to pass the baton, knowing that a new leader will bring fresh ideas, focus and energy to the organization. I wish the musicians, board and staff all the best as they plan for the future of the San Juan Symphony.”

Some of the initiatives implemented during Maestro Post’s tenure include the youth outreach and education program, family concerts, side-by-side concerts with young musicians, pops concerts and outdoor concerts in Farmington.

SJS Board President Sheri Rochford Figgs stated, “Arthur Post, in many ways, helped ensure the viability of the San Juan Symphony. Our symphony is like few others in that we have a blend of traveling and local musicians that make up our orchestra. Furthermore, we are in rural America and this in itself brings challenges to any music director. With Arthur’s masterful programming, high standards of musicianship and his ability to help the SJS raise funds, he worked with the Board of Directors to raise the bar for audience and musicians alike. His tenure far exceeds that of most music directors. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we wish Arthur Post all the best with his family and future musical endeavors. It is our hope that he will be able to come back to the San Juan Symphony as a guest conductor should the opportunity avail itself. He has a lasting legacy with the San Juan Symphony, and we will remain grateful to him for his many dedicated years of bringing music to the Four Corners region.”

The SJS Board of Directors will meet later this month to discuss next steps in beginning a search for a new music director. The 2014-15 season will mark the San Juan Symphony’s 42nd year performing in the Four Corners area.